Storybook Tale
by Snows Of Yester-Year
Summary: Katara decides to relay her favorite love story to Aang. He returns the favor. Kataang oneshot.


I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender.

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Sunlight spilled onto the floor, liquid gold that filled the room with gentle warmth. The room and its sole occupant were suspended in a web of placid silence, broken only by the light birdsong that floated in through the open window. The brilliant blue sky was untouched and pristine, with only the occasional cloud drifting like a sailboat across the vast ocean of the sky. 

Inside the room, a young woman was seated one the floor, unwavering focus etched into every inch of her youthful face. A few recalcitrant strands of her deep brown hair had escaped from where they had been tucked behind her ears, hanging in front of her bright blue eyes. The girl did not seem to notice the errant strands, nor did she notice the brilliance of the sky of the warmth of the sun or the gently symphony of the birdsong.

She was far too focused on the book in her lap.

A small smile tugged at her lips as she read. She had reached her favorite part of the entire book, a work that she had read and re-read until the edges of the pages had grown weathered and the pages themselves bore fingerprints and rips and the one stain from here her brother's little girl had spilled tea on the table where the book had been resting.

Her hand darted up as though on instinct, attempting to push the aforementioned rebellious strands of hair into their proper place, her eyes refusing to leave the book. This was the best part of the entire story – the young mason's son had finally gathered the courage to speak to the girl that he had secretly fallen in love with.

The door to the small room opened. The girl paid no attention.

Footsteps across the hard floor. No response.

A distinct figure, standing wordlessly next to the young woman. She silently blinked.

The figure crouched down, sat on the floor, and asked in a soft voice, "How many times have you read that book?"

"This will be the ninth," she responded, smiling to herself. She lifted her eyes to the young man that had settled next to her. His eyes were focused on her, shining with an unsurpassable tenderness. She leaned over and gave him a brief kiss, murmuring, "Hello, Aang."

"Hey, Katara," he grinned, his voice gentle.

Katara wordlessly leaned against him, allowing his strong arms to encircle her. He rested his chin on her shoulder, observing the book as she continued to read. "What part are you at?"

Katara gently tapped the page in front of her. "Well," she said, "Jing just happened upon An Li in the woods. And he is trying to think of a way to capture her attention."

"What will he do?" Aang asked distractedly, hugging her closer.

"He'll tell her a story," Katara responded softly.

"Hm…" he buried his face in her hair, murmuring, "What was the story about?"

"It was about sss," she murmured, shifting in his warm embrace so that her shoulder was pressed against his front.

She felt his lips press against the top of her head. "Did she like the story?"

"Yeah," Katara smiled. "She did."

His hand ran gently down her arm, sending a slight chill up her back. "What became of them?"

She shut her eyes, nuzzling the warm skin of his neck. "They were actually separated by a war…"

His grip on her grew slightly stronger. "They were?" he asked, his voice somewhat hushed.

"Yes," Katara admitted sadly. "But they were together in the end."

"Good," Aang said, burying his face in her hair. "I prefer happy endings…"

"Me, too," she smiled.

He paused for a moment. "Actually," he said slowly, "I have a love story that I like better than that."

"Oh, really?" she grinned, glancing up at him. "Tell me about it."

"Well," he started with a smile, "there was a girl who rescued a boy. When he saw her the first time, he was convinced that it was some angel that had rescued him. But she probably just thought he was a dork."

"I can't imagine," Katara murmured.

"It's true," he insisted. "But she was still nice enough to help him with his duties in ending this great war. He really had no idea why on Earth she would put herself through such a thing, but she did, and she never complained once."

"She probably felt lucky," she interjected. "She got to travel all over the world with this great bender…what more could she want?"

"Well," Aang said, "he still felt bad about it. He almost felt like he had robbed her of her security, like he had put her in harms way. But she didn't care. She fought right beside him anyway."

"What became of them?" Katara whispered.

He grinned softly. "They were getting ready for a great battle," he started. "He had loved her for so long…and he was afraid that he would never see her again. So…" he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers and whispered, "he kissed her."

She smiled a dreamy smile. "I'll bet that blew her away."

"Nah," he grinned. "She probably still though he was a dork."

"Well, even if she did, he was the dork that she loved…wasn't he?"

"That he was," Aang confirmed.

She smiled up at him. "So what happened after that? Happily ever after?"

"Not just yet," he said. "But they did find it."

"That's good," Katara said. She paused for a moment. "You know…I think I like that love story better, too."

"I thought you would," he said with a smile.

Steadying herself on his shoulder, she pulled herself up and kissed him tenderly. He buried his fingers in her hair, holding her as close to him as he possibly could, while the book lay forgotten on the floor.


End file.
